Starring - Sharni Vinson (You're Next, House of Willow Street), Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under, Blow), and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, Last Action Hero)
Release Date - 2013
Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi
Tagline - "The killer in a coma returns"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Remakes have a stigma about them with a lot of movie goers actively bashing them with little to no regard of how good the movie actually is. I look at remakes as a new take on a story that I already enjoy. Honestly, I've liked a lot of remakes over the years and always look at them with optimism. Several year ago I snagged a DVD copy of the Patrick remake Patrick: Evil Awakens. It was a fun remake that delivered on the atmosphere and scenery but lacked the menacing title character. When Umbrella announced the Patrick double feature release I couldn't wait to revisit both of those. I quickly reached out to them and they were kind enough to send a copy my way.
The film follows a nurse that hired on at an old clinic that specializes in comatose patients. Among the patients is Patrick who the young nurse becomes close to. After spending time with him she suspects that he is actually able to communicate and is aware of what is going on around him. However, the closer she gets to him the more she uncovers strange behavior from him along with peculiar goings on. Soon she realizes that the experiments the demented doctor has been running on the comatose patients has unlocked powers within Patrick and he is using them to keep people away from her with murderous intent.
Patrick: Evil Awakens follows in a line of remakes that deliver an almost exact retelling of the original. The most infamous of these remakes is the Psycho remake starring Vince Vaughn. I enjoyed PEA and the much darker tone that the film delivers but it does lack in a few other aspects. The acting in this one is surprisingly well done. I'm a huge fan of Six Feet Under so it was great seeing Rachel Griffiths in a genre film. She does a great job at reimaging the character of the bitchy head nurse that has a cold shoulder for our protagonist. It was also great seeing Charles Dance in another film. I know a lot of our readers will recognize him for his role in Game of Thrones but as a kid born on the tail end of the 80s and grew up in the 90s he will always be Benedict from Last Action Hero. I also enjoyed Sharni Vinson as well. She does a great job at giving her character a lot of the same traits as the original performance from Susan Penhaligon but with a more modern spin. The supporting cast is solid enough but these three really carry the film. My biggest complaint with the acting is how Patrick is not as eerie or menacing like the original Patrick. His bug eyed stare really made me feel uncomfortable while this Patrick just blends into the background. The story for this one is a somewhat modern take on the original tale but it was a more dark and sinister setting. The atmosphere in this one is a much chilling and darker which that pays tribute to the gothic inspired horror tales of the late 60s and 70s. It reminded a lot of the remake of House on Haunted Hill where the film location is almost a part of the cast. I loved that but it did put the character of Patrick to the back of the story while turning the doctor into the antagonist. Finally, this one has some blood with some great effects and a lot of fantastic props. The film does dial it up more in the effects department compared to the first film. We don't get anything that really stands out but I did enjoy the special effects. Overall, Patrick: Evil Awakens is a solid remake and a great film. This is one I would recommend regardless if you had seen the original or not. It's a fun watch especially if you are looking for a late night horror flick. You can't really go wrong with this double feature from Umbrella Entertainment.
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